Golden Chrysanthemums
The Golden Chrysanthemums are a terrorist organization seeking to overthrow the current Kusari government and institute a matriarchy. History Most scholars date the start of the group as the publication of Golden Chrysanthemum in Bloom in 642 AS. The author, Yuyu Matsuda, was a young but critically acclaimed poet. Charismatic and well-spoken, Matusda had a considerable following among young Kusari women who found their lives lacking in direction but were reluctant to become married and fulfill their traditional role in Kusari society. Matsuda decried what she saw as the corruption of the Kusari male-dominated culture and preached a revolution led by the long-suffering women of Kusari. These ideas were eventually encapsulated in Golden Chrysanthemum in Bloom, in which Matsuda described a fictitious nation called Yomi. A place of fat, lazy male bureaucrats who handed out concessions at the whim of entrenched mega-corporations, Yomi was eventually engulfed in revolution and united under the rule of a benevolent Empress personally selected by the goddess Amaterasu to watch over her people. Matsuda looked to the foreigners as a model, where women could be president and run corporations. The Chrysanthemum went on to become a best-seller. Unfortunately, in 648 AS, Matsuda crossed the dangerous line between ideas and actions when she was implicated in the botched assassination attempt of the planetary governor of Kyushu. Rather than face the ignominy of imprisonment, Matsuda chose ritual suicide instead. An increase in attacks on government personnel and installations followed soon after. Neither as well armed as the Blood Dragons nor as influential as the Hogosha, the Golden C. have been more of an irritant to the government than an actual threat. Unfortunately, any attempts to locate the Golden C. base or learn more about their organization has been thwarted by their willingness to die rather than talk. A Golden C. pilot will trigger her ship's self-destruction rather than be captured, and suicide attacks are common. Attempts to infiltrate the Golden C. have proven equally fruitless. On several occasions the Kusari government has received the finger of an undercover agent wrapped in a page from one of Matsuda's books. The Kusari State Police keeps a watchful eye on the faction, but has been unable to completely control them. This is at least partly due to the assistance of the Blood Dragons, who have made use of the Golden C. base in Hokkaido as a rest stop on the long journey to the inner systems of Kusari. The Blood Dragons also share the group’s desire to overthrow the government and reform House Kusari, although perhaps using more sophisticated methods. Bases Under Control *Ainu Depot, Hokkaido Official Faction Standings *ALLIES: **Blood Dragons **Outcasts *Enemies **Kusari State Police **Kusari Naval Forces **Samura Industries **Farmers Alliance **Hogosha **Bounty Hunters News GC POPULAR WITH YOUNGER WOMEN: NEW TOKYO -- An independent news organization conducted a secret poll recently and discovered some surprising results. It appears that three quarters of the female population in New Tokyo under the age of thirty support the actions of the terrorist group Golden Chrysanthemums. Many of those questioned in the polls stated that they believe what the Golden C. are doing is best for Kusari in the long run. Government sources responded to the findings in an official statement, "Since the terrorist organization began operations Cardamine abuse is up 200 percent, and piracy is up 29 percent." INFILTRATOR DISCOVERED DURING INITIATION: AINU -- A government agent was discovered last week when she attempted to become a permanent member of our sisterhood. This is the third such spy. When will the government learn that Matsuda watches over us and will not let interlopers into the house of her visionaries? It is unfortunate that a potential sister of ours turned out to be nothing more than an agent for the chauvinists trying to oppress her own gender. It is our duty to enlighten women like her that have been dragged from the truth by the brainwashing of the patriarchal Kusari culture. BLOOD DRAGONS HONOR US: ROPPONGI -- Blood Dragon pilot Kozai Suzuki was saved from certain death a few days ago when he sent out a distress call to any Blood Dragons or Golden C. in the area. The sisterhood picked up his message; fortunately, three of our warriors were nearby. They found him in a badly damaged ship fighting off two Hogosha and immediately flew into the fray to assist. Within moments one of the Hogosha was destroyed, and the second fled. Suzuki-san honored us with his personal gratitude and an original Kuichi Li portrait of Yu Yu Matsuda. Rumors "I graduated from New Tokyo University with a degree in Quantum Engineering. I found work at Samura pouring coffee for my male boss. When the Golden C. approached me at a Roppongi bar, I jumped at the chance to finally fight back for the women of Kusari." - Hiromi Endo, Ainu Depot "We are not numerous yet, but that will change as more of the oppressed women of Kusari tire of the old ways. As we speak, underground cells of the disaffected youth are being formed on all the home planets. We encourage them to visit foreign lands, try exotic foods, and experiment with many new ideas." - Kazuko Hara, Ainu Depot "This is our Kinkakuji, however humble it may seem to you. Here our new recruits must learn the teachings of Yuyu in the "Golden Chrysanthemum in Bloom", our source of inspiration. It says that Kusari will eventually be engulfed in revolution and united under the rule of a benevolent empress personally selected by the goddess Amaterasu to watch over her people." - Etsuko Tanaka, Ainu Depot "We buy our Cardamine from the Outcasts on Cali in the Tau-23 system. They are disturbing people -- always wearing those masks, but we need the Cardamine. It defines our cause and serves as an important security mechanism. All recruits of Matsuda must become addicted to the drug before they are allowed to become full-fledged members. This makes it difficult for the Kusari security forces to penetrate our cell. And of course, they are not women..." - Hiromi Endo, Ainu Depot "Once we are more established in Kusari, we will no longer need this hellish place. Samura puts much pressure on us. Only the assistance of the Blood Dragons has allowed us to survive at all out here." - Kazuko Hara, Ainu Depot "We support the Blood Dragons as well as we can. They need access to our base to rest and resupply after crossing the Gap, or after long Kyushu raids. We do not share the same beliefs, but they are not incompatible. We are all devoted to the overthrow of the Kusari government." - Ainu Bartender RBT-116 "The only place we can land in Kusari space is Roppongi. The foreigners find us more amusing than threatening, and tolerate our presence there. So we buy Luxury Goods in the botiques onboard, and sell our Cardamine to the highest bidders in the bars scattered around the station." - Hiromi Endo, Ainu Depot "We must occasionally make the long journey to Leiden in the Independent Worlds to sell Cardamine and buy supplies from the smelly foreigners. The Lane Hackers are strange, but not so bad once you get to know them. The Rogues are disgusting pigs. They always harass us in the bar." - Kazuko Hara, Ainu Depot Rumors About Golden Chrysanthemums "The Golden Chrysanthemums are a bit unorthodox in their methods, but share our vision of a new Kusari. We do not espouse their heavy use of Cardamine, however. That drug is evil, and will prove their undoing." - Tadashi Hashimoto, Blood Dragons "The Golden Chrysanthemums believe that they have the next emperor -- excuse me, empress of Kusari back in a corner of the living deck in the form of a seven-year-old Kyushu girl. They're teaching her everything she needs to know to run the country. Good luck." - Kyoko Yamada, Blood Dragons Category:Factions Category:Kusari Factions Category:Rebel Factions Category:Criminal Factions uk:Золоті Хризантеми